Lookin for Blackthorn in all the wrong pl

Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum

Help Support Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
?
smiley5.gif



berry
 
From some websites:


Prunus spinosa are Sloes.


When googling Prunus Spinosa, I got Blackthorn.


When I googled "Blackthorn, Sloes, buy, dried" I got this:


The Native American Plum tree, Prunus americana, is also known as the Native Plum, Hedge Plum, Sloe or Wild Plum.
<H3>


The Blackthorn tree is esoterically known as both the Mother of the Woods and the Dark Crone of the Woods. Folklore</H3>


Blackthorn is depicted in many fairytales throughout Europe as a tree of ill omen. Called Straif in the Ogham, this tree has the most sinister reputation in Celtic tree lore. The English word “strife” is said to derive from this Celtic word. A long hard winter is referred to as a Blackthorn Winter.


To Witches, it often represents the dark side of the Craft. It is a sacred tree to the Dark, or Crone aspect of the Triple Goddess, and represents the Waning and Dark Moons. Blackthorn is known as “the increaser and keeper of dark secrets”.13


The tree is linked with warfare, wounding and death, associated with the Scottish Cailleach - the Crone of Death, and the Irish Morrigan. In Scotland, winter begins when the Cailleach (also the Goddess of Winter) strikes the ground with Her Blackthorn staff.


According to Christian folklore, Blackthorn is seen as a sinister tree and associated with Witches. Blackthorn was often used for “binding and blasting.” A black rod is a Blackthorn wand with fixed thorns on the end, used to cause harm to others. In British folklore, a Witch will use a Blackthorn stang14 in rituals of cursing. The sharp thorns were reputedly used by English witches to pierce poppets in their curses, called the “pins of slumber”15. In South Devon folklore in England, Witches were said to carry Blackthorn walking sticks, with which they caused much local mischief. Witches and heretics were burned on Blackthorn pyres. The Devil was said, in Medieval times, to prick his follower’s fingers with the thorn of a Blackthorn tree.16


Blackthorn is also associated with Witchcraft in Scotland. In 1670, in Edinburgh, Major Thomas Weir was burned as a Witch along with his most powerful magical tool - a Blackthorn staff, carved with a Satyrs head, which was said to have fantastic powers - it was even able to fly through the air. Major Weir claimed that he received this magic staff from the Devil, but it is more likely that he obtained it while he served as an officer under General Leslie in Ireland. The Major was a pious Covenanter, and people came from miles around to hear his sermons. He was considered the “Saint of West Bow”, until one day in 1670, instead of his usual sermon, he confessed years of debauchery with his sister, Jean, to the congregation. Brother and sister were both tried and condemned to death. His ghost, along with the infamous Blackthorn staff, is still said to haunt the Edinburgh West Bow district.


 
Oh definitely!





My gramma used to make wine out of them, and that's why I wanted to find a supplier here for dried ones. My usual place doesn't have them....
smiley19.gif






BTW, my gramma lived in Germany.
smiley1.gif
Edited by: MedPretzel
 
have not seen dried sloes but I will look


BTW my grannycame from Ireland. 4 foot 2 and pretty tough
smiley4.gif



berry
 

Latest posts

Back
Top